Metoprolol Withdrawal (Page 47)
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i've been taking metoprolol for several years as partial treatment for high blood pressure. through diet and exercise, i've lowered my BP to the point my doctor says drop the metoprolol.

i did, 3 days ago, and i'm soooo tired, dizzy, irritable, and my vision is blurred.

is this withdrawal? how long will it last?

i remember starting this medication was terrible to get used to. it appears that stopping it is just as bad.

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Well I had been doing good, I'm off almost 5 months and bam I've had 2 weeks of anxiety I thought I was doing so much better!

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Let me just add to Bob's excellent analysis that because M crosses the blood brain barrier, it makes one susceptible to depression. That is probably the most dangerous side effect of any of the blood brain barrier crossing beta blockers. I was switched to atenolol from metoprolol to see if that was the cause of my depression.

Instead, all hell broke lose and the side effects from atenolol were so awful, ( and it took some time before I could isolate that because I take other "brain medicine" ) I then tried to return to metoprolol. But that did not work and I continued to have extreme anxiety. I decided to wean off M and noticed a drop in anxiety as I lowered my dosage. So perhaps it was set off by the switch to atenolol, but it lingered even after a month of being on metoprolol. Something had changed and the additive effect of coming of atenolol and going back on metoprolol was causing extreme anxiety, unlike any anxiety I had ever experienced and that included eight major operations.

Over my twenty years of taking M, there were several changes in dosage both up and down from 25 to 100mg. I never put together those changes in dosage with physical and mental changes, except for the loss of stability, falling down feintness when I stood up quickly, once even tearing my MCL in the knee, trying awkwardly to keep from falling down.

I am certain there were many other instances such as muscular aches and flu like symptoms that cam out of nowhere during those times that were directly due to M.

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Has anybody tried Cannabidiol, CBD oil, for the nausea and anxiety, the part of the hemp plant that does not make you high but relieves some of the symptoms, even reducing blood pressure? I have been told it works much better than any pharmaceutical.

And I am talking about ingesting it, not smoking it and ruining your lungs.

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Tabitha, yes, you are absolutely right. I have been taking BBs since early 2015 and since then I have read probably 1000s of different scientific articles and theories about BBs and 100s of threads like this one with stories from 100s of people who have been through the same.

Then I have tried to think about all of the effects of BBs, and I have wrote before: our hearts beat slower and they pump less blood due to BBs (let's say that a heart works at 80% of it's strength on BBs). Then when we quit BBs, a heart is forced again to work up to 100% (it's normal/default level), and then our hearts are tired, feel weak, they beat way too hard and too fast while they try to maintain that new 100% level. Eventually as our heart as a muscle gets back into a better shape, our elevated HR drops down and we feel normal and we don't feel a pain or elevated HR anymore. Dizziness is probably due to our blood vessels being wider on BBs, and when we quit them, vessels are not that wide again and probably less blood gets to a brain (until our body readjusts). Headaches probably come from the same reason (changes in blood vessels and in how much blood can reach some organs). Nausea come because BBs also interfere with B2 receptors in our digestive system, and nausea during a withdrawal is also a sign that our digestive system is trying to readjust to it's previous state when BBs haven't interfere with it.

About anxiety, you are 100% right. But the one thing that worries me, I am not too sure how many diagnostics drug companies have done in order to evaluate the effects of quitting BBs. For example, if we had 1 million of Beta receptors, and now if that number goes up during BBs, or if those receptors gets more sensitive or whatever, I am not too sure that anyone can actually measure how much more sensitive our receptors are today and how exactly will it last (and will it even return 100% to a normal level).

Also, I have been thinking a lot about this, and from my own experience while quitting, I think that BBs are leaving our body, bloodstream and organs in 3 ways:

1. let's say that a BB has a half life (how much time it takes for a single dose to drop from 100% to 50% in our blood). So, if a half life is let's say 12 hours, then if you take 12 Mg of a drug, in 12 hours you will have 6 Mg of drug left in your blood, and in 24 hours you will have 3 Mg left. So, if you take 12 Mg on a day 1 in the morning, you will have 3 Mg of that dose left in you on a day2 in the morning when you'll take a new dose. On the 3rd day, you will have 0,75 Mg from the 1st day, 3 Mg from the 2nd day and 12 Mg from the 3rd day. On the 4th day, you will have 0,20 Mg from the 1st day, 0,75 Mg from the 2nd day, 3 Mg from the 3rd day and 12 Mg from the 4th day.

So, in numbers:
Day 1: 12 Mg of BB in your blood
Day 2: 12+3=15 Mg of BB in your blood
Day 3: 12+3+0,75=15,75 Mg of BB in your blood
Day 4: 12+3+0,75+0,20=15,95 Mg of BB in your blood
So, BBs slowly accumulate in our bodies.

Now, when you lower the dose of BBs, let's say from 12 Mg to 6 Mg, your drop will be visible in 2 ways:
1) first, you will take only 6 Mg on that day, so that is a first way how your level of BBs will drop. So, on that day you will have: 6 Mg from today+3 Mg from the day before+0,75 from 2 days ago+0,20 from 3 days ago etc=9,95 Mg on that day. While, on a day before, you had around 16,00 Mg (as explained above 12+3+0,75 etc). So, on a first day when you lower the dose, you will see a drop from 16,0 Mg in your blood to 10,0 Mg in your blood. And then, some people may think: I have lowered the dose for a half, and I don't feel any withdrawal symptoms. Well, that's good, but now look at this: You will have 16+ (or more) Mg in your blood on your last day with 12 Mg doses. On a first day with 6 Mg (tappering) you will drop to 10 Mg in your blood. But then, on each new day, even though you will take 6 Mg each day, you will have less and less of BBs in your blood, since those leftovers of older doses of 12 Mg will slowly get out of your system.

So, it was: 16 Mg in your blood on a last day with 12 Mg doses.
Day 1 on a 6 Mg: 6+3+0,75+0,20 etc=9,95 Mg
Day 2 on a 6 Mg: 6+now only 1,5 from a previous day instead of 3 Mg before+0,75+0,20 etc=8,45 Mg
Day 3 on a 6 Mg: 6+1,5+0,40+0,20=8,10 Mg
Day 4 on a 6 Mg: 6+1,5+0,40+0,10=8,00 Mg etc

So, you see, we have lowered the dose from 12 Mg to 6 Mg, BUT the real effects will NOT be visible on a day1 on a new dose, but after 4-5-6-7 days on a new dose, when leftovers from a 12 Mg will be gone. Then we will really know how well we cope on a new dose.

So, what I have explained are 2 ways how a level of BBs is getting lower (no1 is actually lowering the dose from 12Mg to 6Mg, and a No2 is an effect in our blood after 6-7 days when leftovers from a higher dose left our body and when we are finally ONLY on a 6 Mg dose from that moment.)

And then, imo, the 3rd way how BBs are leaving our bodies is through a blood-brain barrier. All BBs (Metoprolol, Propranolol, Bisoprolol, Nebivolol) except Atenolol are crossing a Blood-brain barrier (that is a different type of a bloodstream around our brains with a different set of rules than a regular blood stream). And these BBs who crossed that barrier, our entering into our brain, plus affecting a central nervous system (heart rate, breathing rate) and lots of other things (vivid dreams for example, dizziness, headaches, poor memory, weirdo head feeling, depersonalization). Anyway, my opinion is that BBs are lasting much longer in that bloodstream inside of a Blood-brain barrier than in a normal bloodstream.

So, my estimation: when you lower the dose of BBs, or when you quit them:

1) on a first day you will have a withdrawal part1 since you have lowered the actual daily dose

2) after 7 days you will have a withdrawal part 2 when a majority of leftover BBs from your regular bloodstream will leave your body and then you will have tons of symptoms like elevated HR, high BP, nausea, anxiety and similar

3) the 3rd part is imo, after 2-4 weeks or after 1-2 Months, when leftovers from BBs are finally being excreted from our brain (from a blood inside of a blood brain barrier)

In my case, I have tried to quit BBs 2 times (this is my 2nd attempt), and in both cases, I first experienced elevated HR and BP, and anxiety kicked in only after 4-5-6 weeks when other heart related symptoms were already improving (so, when BBs slowly left the blood from inside our brains.)

And once more, for the end, I doubt that drug's companies have measured how long BBs remain in our brain after quitting, how much they have altered chemicals and mechanisms in our brains and whether we will ever be 100% the same as before them.

Companies will probably say: these drugs are made and evaluated for people who need those drugs, for their whole life. These drugs probably weren't designed at all for taking them for 1-2-xx years and then quitting them. Plus, there are always some risks with side effects, with any drug.

Again, I don't believe that anyone completely evaluated every single effect of BBs long-term and what happens with people who stopped taking them.

Docs will usually say: you are crazy, you have anxiety, and either take diazepam (Valium, Xanax) or go back to BBs...

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Bob,

How's your blood pressure? Have you had a catecholamine u/a done?

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Yes Tabitha you're right I'm 35,was only on close to two months,been off almost two month,have seen every doctor there is,the last doctor the Endocronologist is the one who told me my cortisol levels which is the adrenaline in the body were slightly high,so that's why I know the anxietiey comes through...

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Bob,

I was just reading yours and anxiety does seem to last the longest and even after myself having an ablation after being taken off of metoprolol (I'm 26) I'm still on Xanax for anxiety or I never would've made it through it feels like. It stinks to become addicted to something else but Id much rather it be Xanax a thousand times over than metoprolol ever again. I put it on my allergies list of medications now so no dr will ever give it to me again. (Which I did have some SEVERE reactions but I would've put it on there anyway) but back to where I was going with this, I think the anxiety lasts so long (longest for people who've been on it longer) because of all the extra receptors your body has built since starting to take a BB, searching for the adrenaline it's use to getting. How long does it take for these extra receptors to all go away after your body realizes it doesn't need them anymore. So here your body is back with its normal receptors and also the extra ones, grabbing adrenaline everywhere. Now that you're off BB, until these extra receptors disappear back down to normal everything is jolting. Maybe we should look up how long it takes your body to rid itself of the receptors it doesn't need anymore that it started building after taking the BBs? Of any of this makes sense?

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Monique don't worry about a set time. Just keep in mind everyone is different. I know at times it feels like its takes forever . Just look back at when you started you probably felt worse than now. I was overwhelmed at first thinkingit would take 3 months but i was wrong . I have been for 10 months amd now feel better . Anxiety is still there but at a minimum and easy to overcome now

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Thanks Bob for all the info and yes u right,an argument a scary movie all of which I had before I've ever taken a BB makes me so jittery and shaky now,my worst times seems to be when I first wake up in the am,and kinda settles down throughout the day,I know the body in a sense can heal itself,it's just how long does it take

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Monique, I am taking only 1-2 Mg currently, I weaned off from 12.5 Mg to this. All my withdrawal symptoms are gone, except elevated HR for 1-2 hours on some days and anxiety and being scared of some normal things for no reason.

I have read this whole thread 2-3 times and a lot of people in the past said that anxiety is a symptom which lasts the longest.

I am taking only Magnesium and Valium (0,50-1,00 Mg daily) and nothing else. So, anxiety is most likely just a withdrawal symptom because adrenaline (which causes anxiety) is a main thing which Beta blockers affect.

I know that you probably don't want to go on new drugs, but two of my cardiologists told me: feel free to take Valium or Xanax after quitting BBs, until you will feel normal again.

I personally still get too excited too easily, even though it is getting better. For example, I still have some problems while listening to loud music, after 15 minutes, I fell minutes that I just have too much of adrenaline in my body suddenly and I need to stop and calm down. Also, I still can't watch action or horror movies currently, I get too excited after 10 minutes. Or if I argue with someone for 1 minute, I need like 10-15 minutes to calm down after that. As if my nervous system is way too sensitive currently. (It wasn't like that before BBs).

I mean, it is getting better and better, but I have a feeling sometimes that Beta blockers erased tons of things in my brain and that now when I am not taking them anymore, my brain needs to re-learn again how to cope with all basics things, and all basic things which cause happy emotions, emotions of being scared etc.

I mean, I watched 1000s of action or horror movies in my life and I was never scared. But now, after quitting BBs, after 10-15 minutes of such movie, I am too easily excited and I need to stop watching it.

It will get better slowly (I hope so), but these drugs really messed with our brains and messed with some basic mechanisms in our bodies.

I remember that one poster wrote (on this thread) a few years ago that he was in Iraq as a Us-soldier and he worked there for years during war, and never had problems with anxiety in those days. But today, when he had quit BBs, he said that he couldn't watch some movie with his wife and he had to move away and stop watching it because he felt anxious while watching it. It wasn't even a horror, but some drama...

So for him, quitting BBs caused way more anxiety than being in a real-life war. That explains a lot.

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Hello guys, will be four months off next week,this last week very very anxious for no reason,I have been taken b supplements and read where the niacin can cause raised anxiety,so I'm cutting back on that,but kinda down this week

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Hi, Matt

I am glad that you finally had some good days.
About bad days, they always come back, but you'll see, they will be weaker and weaker, as if "good days are winning" and bad days are losing the battle.

At first it will be: you will feel good for one afternoon. They you'll feel good on the next day's afternoon also. Then you'll have 3 bad days after that.
Then you'll have 5 days in a row with good afternoons.
Then you'll have 2 horrible days again.
Then you'll have 2 good days, from the morning till the evening.
Then one neutral day.
Then for no reason 3 horrible bad days again.
Then 5 awesome days after that.
Then 2 horrible days.
Then 8 good days.
Then 2 horrible days again.
Then 8 good days again etc.

But you get the point. At first you will feel good only for a few hours, or during an afternoon/evening on some days.
Later you will have 1-2 good days.
Then eventually you will have 3-4-5 good days in a row (and then a bad day) and then again 5 good days.

Good periods will last longer and longer, and when bad days return, they usually won't be as bad as in early Months, plus you will experience only some side effects.
For example, if in the first Month during bad days you had high heart rate, high BP, nausea, dizziness, headaches, pain in the abdomen and anxiety, now after a few Months, during bad days, you will have only some moderately elevated HR and some anxiety.

Majority of other symptoms will be gone and these 2-3 which are still here (usually elevated HR for a few hours on some days, and anxiety) will be weaker and weaker in each new week.

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I have been busy with my 97 year old Dad who is now in a rehab facility after falling at home. I even drove up,to Boston three times to make sure he was being taken care of....and I was feeling pretty good three months off M for a week or so.....and now bam, I started feeling anxious, nauseous again and I have had knife like pains in my lower back....I guess this is my rebound return after feeling OK for a while.

I hope you are all hanging in there.

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I had 2 awesome weeks, being able to walk outside each day, do a lot of normal things without any side effects and without any withdrawal symptoms during those 2 weeks.

Then, as always, a few bad days in a row came for no reason.
This time I had only huge anxiety for no reason, as if I have way too much adrenaline in my body (which is actually true due to a withdrawal).

Luckily, I don't have nausea, dizziness, tiredness, headache, random pain in abdomen anymore, only a long episode of anxiety lasting a few days.

It is getting better, but these hot and cold episodes of good weeks and then bad weeks will probably last for months until they will be finally gone.

Good luck to all other sufferers, I hope that you are slowly getting better.

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Jules I haven't been on here for a while but I'm replying to your moms cough! I had the same thing going on when I was on the M it was terrible! Coughing and the feeling someone was chocking me and sitting on my chest! I've bedmate off for about three months, I am feeling netter, but get some tingling in my arms and leg once in a while and sometimes feel bot! I hope your feeling netter! Best wishes to your mom 95 that's awesome!

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I don't . I did at first but slowly started beter . Now feel alot better . The lexapro helped out alot . Now i am weaning off slowly from lexapro due to weight gain and it makes me sleepy . I am cutting down 2.5 mgs every 3 weeks so the tappering is going well.

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JR-do you still get lightheaded or dizzy when you move around too much?

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I hope everything is going great for every one. Dont loose hope sandra !!! I have been off about the same as you . I took lexapro for the anxiety and it has helped me alot. Currently weaning off it . It has been slow but good . Just remeber not everyone is the same but one thing that we can not loose is hope.

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Hello everyone,and yes Sandra sorry to hear about your difficulties you've been having lately,I am now 4 months,I must say I've come a long way,I only take one a day vitamins for women,and fish oil because I had gastro issues and I hear they were good for that,and I'm a very spiritual person,so lots of prayer and talking to God has helped me tremendously!!????

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Actually yes the leg pain was from the constipation. I am not on any supplements or other medication so we arent sure what caused the constipation. I am on a stool softener now and hopefully will keep it from happening again. The hole was in my small intestine.

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